In this exhibit Eloy Torrez is showing narrative and individual portrait paintings. Juliane Backmann is presenting photography, conceptually perceived urban landscapes, environmental portraits and still lives, along with assemblage sculptures. Though their mediums differ, both artists approach their subjects through deeply personal and complementary perspectives. Born in New Mexico, Torrez and in Germany, Backmann each found their way to Los Angeles, drawn by its creative energy and cultural diversity. Raised within distinct traditions—Torrez between New Mexico and Barstow, Backmann in Germany—the artists met in Los Angeles over three decades ago. Since then, they have shared artistic dialogue and collaborated across painting, drawing, photography, and video. Eloy attended Otis Art Institute during its days near MacArthur Park in the late 70’s early 80’s. After attending the Academy of Photography in Munich, Germany Juliane moved to Downtown Los Angeles to work as an editorial photographer. They imagine Los Angeles in unique ways, drawing on their experiences in the Chicano art scene and in photojournalism. Traveling to Germany and New Mexico they expand their horizons and look at the familiar and unknown together with a new perspective. They collaborated on exhibitions and through projects in painting, drawing, photography and video works. Torrez’s early experiences in Los Angeles have shaped his outlook on the topic of diversity and provided a new outlook on examining his personal past. Los Angeles’ diversity is a reflection of self and Eloy accepted this philosophy as his own. Life is a series of crossroads from ancestral past to the present and future. He examines in his paintings life's experiences with all that has been instilled in us from our parents, society, environment, relationships, values, religion etc. as well as the pressure we instill on ourselves. He looks at these themes from a surreal perspective, exploring dreams and deeper levels of consciousness. Juliane first experienced Los Angeles through her work as a photojournalist and editorial photographer, which led her to examine the city’s urban landscape in the tradition of German fine art large format photography and it’s people through contemporary environmental portraiture. More recently she started to make found object sculptures, they are almost readymade a la Duchamp, but require some assembly and comment on our society and environment. This exhibit is about conversations through visual works of art about a multitude of themes. Two people from diverse backgrounds, with their personal aesthetics, likes, dislikes, opinions and critiques understand that subconsciously they are influenced by each other and gain a better understanding of self through such dialogues, while being true to themselves.